Reviews (9)

Excelente referencias
Libro indispensable para un pintor profesional que desee buenos resultados en la tecnica de los materiales. Recetas e información tecnica para elaborar cualquier medio pictórico

Its a reference book
A bulky reference book. Its useful if you want to refer something - but definitely not a cover-to-cover read as I thot it would be. To be fair, it has detailed info about all artists' materials, hardware etc - but just didn't suit my needs.

The Artist's Bible
This is the Artist's classic, and the Artist's Bible of not only what materials are but when they came into use, how they are formulated and why. Want to learn how to make your own gesso for silverpoint? Want to cut a quill pen? Want to make your own pastels? Can't remember how to make your own sizing or gesso? Want to try your hand at encaustic or egg tempera painting? Want to know which colors in the spectrum are likely to fade (are fugitive colors) in watercolor and which are not? It's here.

Artists Handbook of Material and Techniques
it was a required book at a county college. once i got it i realized it was very informative. it has very good information and i refer to it all the time. the professor said it would be our "bible for art" and he was right. it has techniques such as how to do egg tempra, suggestions on types of paints, etc. i would highly recommend it.

A great reference book for all artists.
I guessed writing review using reverse-psychology is rather easily misunderstood, considering review readers are from around the world with different ways of thinking. So, let me rephrase my comments about this book.

This book is a 5-STAR, due to the following reasons:

1) The book provides detailed discussion of pigments (pp 65-134), including both physical and chemical properties such as lightfastness (resistance to fading on long exposure to sunlight), density, vehicle compatibility, chemical class, formula, etc.

2) The book also covers other materials used in oil, watercolor painting, as well as other painting techniques such as tempera, mural, etc.

3) Readers will find formulas for preparing mediums throughout the book, as well as supports, solvents, safety issues; along with information on painting tools (brushes, knife, etc.) and other techniques (silk screening, sculpture, etc.)

4) Finally, for readers who prefer further reading on certain subjects, a thorough reference index serves the purpose.

This book targets professional and serious artists, and will serve well as a great reference book.

STRONGLY RECOMMENDED! ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Did I miss the color and light references?
Let me preface my review by saying that I am very new to painting. Having tackled a few Bob Ross paintings using the wet on wet technique, I was looking to learn more - so I got this book. I found that the first 45 pages were really the only pages that appealed to me. Discussions on color combinations, a limited palette and ways of discerning color were good pieces of instruction. However, Kevin talked quite a lot about detail in pictures when his paintings are anything but detail. His paintings tend to be a blurred vision. Nothing really in focus and nothing crisp. So after I got his book, I realized I didn't like his style of artistry. My advice is that before you buy this book, make sure you like the artist's paintings.

Great Book, Great Teacher
I purchased this book and liked it so much, I looked up where the author was giving a workshop and then took the class. Kevin spends a lot of time in both book and workshop on the 'right color' and the art of seeing. He feels that if you can isolate in your subject the correct color for the brushstroke you are about to paint, you cannot help but jump one of the biggest hurdles to having your painting look like the subject. The book is filled with his beautiful paintings, and lots of tips and techniques. I've been following his work since I purchased the book and going to the workshop, and my biggest mistake was not purchasing one of his paintings. And although the paintings in the book are more than first rate, Kevin has become even more talented in the past few years. You'll love having this book for inspiration and reference. Grade A, from the horizontal paint stroke club.

One of my favorite painting books and the best for plein air
I've read a lot of painting books and this is one of my favorites. I've read it front to back several times, and I've read through different chapters numerous times. He uses a very limited palette: cad yellow light, alizarin crimson, ultramarine, and phthalo green. I've been using a limited palette since I read his book, although I often alter the colors a bit. People say the palette is too limited but once you master it you can easily change the colors and add others as required. I found they're seldom required.

He has a challenge to do 100 starts which is great. I'm current doing this with a group of artists at WetCanvas (search Google). He also has another challenge to paint a 6x8 plein air in one hour every day for 3 months. I'm quite confident that after painting 100 starts and 90 paintings I'll be a much better plein air painter. I also like his suggestion of using a black marker to make a b&w sketch before painting. This helps to see the light/shadow patterns.

Overall this book is great. Although it's for oil, his technique will work for any opaque medium. MacPherson also gives workshops and from what I've heard they're very good. The material in the book is what he presents in the workshop!

Great How-To Book By a Modern Master
A wonderful book by an artist recently named one of "The Magnificent Seven" by Art of the West magazine (Jan/Feb 2004) in their article on artists who are carrying on the tradition of such great Western artists as Charlie Russell, John Singer Sargent, Edgar Payne, Nicolai Fechin and others.

This book is filled with information that should be of interest to beginners and advanced painters alike, including capturing fleeting light and weather conditions, color relationships, luminous shadows, color temperature, reflected color, mixing colors using a limited palette, and learning to see a subject more effectively.

An inspiring book by an exceptional teacher, whose classes and workshops sell out months in advance.

Best Plein Air Book
I have to say this is by far the most useful book on color that I own. Some reviewer claims the palette is too limited and other states there's no "light" but color. color "is" light, if you know how to use it. Also, color is relative so you don't need every color on the shelf to create an "illusion" of full spectrum. afterall, that's what paintings are, an illusion. if you like tightly rendered paintings, get a camera. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (24)

"Painting the Impressionist Landscape"
If you want to advance your understanding of color theory; if you want to improve your ability to see and render the effects of light on your subjects; and if you want to create better paintings, then Lois Griffel's book, "Painting the Impressionist Landscape", is just what the art-doctor ordered. For me, Lois Griffel opened the door to new ways of perceiving the world before me, and through her instruction, I discovered more sensitive and rewarding ways to express myself through my painting.

In this book "the subject is Light"; and it serves to unlock some of the mystery of the sophisticated manipulation of color by revered Impressionist Painters (like Monet). Ms. Griffel, herself a master painter and gifted teacher, presents a methodical series of lessons to guide student-artists to a heightened awareness of light, and a more effective use of color in their own painting. Each lesson is appropriately illustrated with examples of paintings in various stages of development for further understanding of the advanced ideas set forth in each chapter.

"Painting the Impressionist Landscape" is not so much a "how to paint" book, as it is a "how to see color/light, understand it, and paint it" book. It is not a book for easy reading. It is a workbook for those who want to work at seeing and painting better. This book is a masterpiece and a must for advanced artists and serious beginners alike.

Closer to Seeing the Light
Artists are always striving to increase their understanding of light and the way it affects color.In her book, Lois Griffel presents straightforward and concise ways to do this. Following her directions for painting studies of colored blocks in different lighting conditions, I learned more about seeing color than I ever possibly could have on my own. Seeing the way she and others who studied with Henry Hensche at the Cape Cod School of Art bring their work to brilliant life helps me to see more and more of the light possibilities in my own work.As I go outdoors to paint the landscape now, I think back to my studies from this book, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to absorb these teachings. Thank you, Ms. Griffel!!!!!!

A Great Book.
This is a wonderful book. Lois Griffel is a gifted artist and teacher. Every page in this book is a feast of beauty for the eye and a feast of knowledge and understanding for your mind. For anyone who wants to learn to paint in the impressionist style this is the book to own. You will study it over and over, as I have. If you are a beginner or a seasoned painter this book has much to offer. It will teach you how to see and paint light which is the great gift to the world of art from the impressionist.

Painting the Impressionists Landscape
Painting the Impressionists Landscape is a must for any painter who wants to learn to see color.Lois teaches you to see and I feel this is of upmost importance in growing as a painter.Lois guides you through the exercises. I normally just let books sit on the shelf after reading them but I have USED this book. I have done the exercises and have seen the progress in my work.I refer back to it often and feel it would be an asset to any painter who is still open and wants to learn.Thanks to Lois for sharing her talent and knowledge so freely.

Lushious Landscape explained
This is a most revealing book about how-to paint landscape. Griffel holds nothing back in describing how to go about what she makes appear so simple. It is the ultimate read for those who seek clarification about color, light, texture, temperature and value. ... Read more

Book Description

A magisterial presentation of all the works of Barnett Newman, along with fascinating new insights into his artistic achievement

Barnett Newman (1905–1970), one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century, has captivated critics, scholars, and the general public for decades. This highly anticipated catalogue raisonné presents Newman’s entire oeuvre—paintings, drawings, sculpture, graphics, an architectural model, lost and unfinished works, and ephemera—in one stunning and definitive volume. Featured elements include color reproductions of unparalleled quality; extensive provenance, exhibition, and publication histories; and a listing of the contents of the artist’s library at the time of his death.

In addition to the catalogue raisonné prepared by Heidi Colsman-Freyberger, the book offers revelatory essays on the artist, his career, and his working methods and features fascinating photographs of Newman, his studios, and his installations. Richard Shiff draws on new documentation to explain why Newman chose to create abstract art, how he achieved “fullness” in his paintings, and how his works exemplify the social functions of an artist. Carol C. Mancusi-Ungaro reveals extraordinary details about Newman’s studio practice and materials and techniques, information not available to the public before because Newman only allowed his wife to observe him at work. Mancusi-Ungaro also discusses the fate of works that were damaged while traveling to exhibitions or by vandals.

Produced and designed to the highest possible standards, this magnificent catalogue raisonné is a critical purchase for anyone interested in twentieth-century art.

Richard Shiff is Effie Marie Cain Regents Chair in Art and Director of the Center for the Study of Modernism at the University of Texas; Carol C. Mancusi-Ungaro is Director of Conservation at the Whitney Museum of American Art; and Heidi Colsman-Freyberger is an independent scholar, researcher, and bibliographer.
... Read more

Book Description

This comprehensive guide to professional paint and bodywork includes the latest information on bodywork tools, materials and techniques. A partial list of subjects includes: Assessing a project car and damaged bodywork, disassembly and stripping, basic hammer and dolly techniques, diagnosing dents, fillers, leading, spray guns, current paint technology, color coats, color sanding, and custom colors. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A mammoth achievement
Not much more to add to what's already been said. This is a big investment of space as well as money, but I'm glad I have it, I've never seen an art book that compares, for Leonardo or any artist for that matter. Absolutely beautiful.

Without equal; without hyperbole....
Some books are good. Some are great. This one is profound! This is a prodigious quantity of Da Vinci's works in mostly large format and astonishing color. The subtleties found in his technique, his drawing materials, the toning due to age, are all given an immediacy and a life-like quality that is rarely achieved in reproduction. The drawings and studies are particularly interesting and appealing because of this. One is left in awe both by Da Vinci's work and Taschen's bold efforts in printing this monumental book. Taschen, always a good choice for art books both for their quality and extraordinary price advantage, has with the production of this book, added significantly to the literature on Da Vinci that is available to the average consumer. In all honesty, I don't know how they can produce and sell this book for less than $500. Its overall dimensions must be seen to be believed, weighing in at about 22 pounds! Start re-enforcing your bookshelves now. This is a proud addition to any library.

A Magnificent Addition to the Library on Leonardo Da Vinci
LEONARDO DA VINCI: THE COMPLETE PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS is a mammoth undertaking in concept and the product of this undertaking is physically mammoth! The very large, heavy tome sets out to explore the history of one of the greatest minds, artists, thinkers, and seers of all time and in doing so we are presented with all of the paintings down to the brushstroke, all of the drawings which include notes and paper quality, and the many writings of this giant of a man. Frank Zollner is an entertaining writer as well as a fine scholar. The facts are all (mostly) here and they are related in an enormously readable fashion. No dry data crunching here, just elegant prose that accompanies more visuals than you could ever imagine.

The three parts of the book are presented with equal importance: Part One is Da Vinci's life and his place in the historic and retrospective setting and contains many of his writings. Part Two is the catalogue raissone for the paintings, both those well known and extant and some images of paintings that no longer exist. Part Three is devoted to the fascinating drawings of just about every subject imaginable. Each is presented with grace, a touch of humor, and a sense of profound respect.

Other books on Da Vinci may boast better/more correct color reproduction and choices of cropping and layout, but for the sheer splendor of this great artist's output and influence on the world of art, religion, sociology and science, this book is going to be the benchmark for years to come. A magnificent book for your table and a particularly elegant gift for your friends!

A Glorious Complilation Of The Master's Work!
Leonardo Da Vinci epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. He possessed one of the greatest minds of all times. Painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, scientist, Da Vinci personified creative genius and had an immeasurable effect on modern culture. This compilation of his work, probably the most complete collection ever made, is spectacular. The reproductions are riveting.

Taschen has reproduced here Leonardo Da Vinci's 34 paintings in glorious color. The paper quality is excellent as is the binding. From "The Last Supper" to the "Mona Lisa," the paintings' details, even Da Vinci's brushstrokes, are clearly visible and exquisite. This 700 page book measures 22" X 17" when open and many of the artist's masterworks are shown with full page or double page details.

Frank Zollner biographical text is beautifully written and the book's first ten chapters explore Da Vinci's life, with excerpts from his letters, contracts and diaries. His painting are also discussed and interpreted here. A complete catalogue of Leonardo's paintings is included in Part II. Da Vinci's extraordinary talent as a draftsman is documented in the six hundred and sixty-three drawings which are presented in Part III. The drawings are arranged by categories, i.e., figures, anatomy, architecture, etc. Johannes Nathan's has written excellent commentary on Da Vinci's drawings and the artist's sensitive lines, both fine and bold, are truly a feast for the eyes.

"Leonardo Da Vinci: The Complete Paintings and Drawings" is one of the most visually stunning books I have ever seen. This was a "must have/must own" item for me, and I have spent many leisurely hours reading, perusing and enjoying this phenomenal collection. I can't think of a better gift for anyone who admires this master's works. This is a very rare and special book.
JANA

Hold on to your books on the paintings!
I was literally aghast when I opened this giant, lavish production to see page after page of the paintings bound right down the center and into the spine of the book. I can't imagine what the publisher was thinking. Tashen books are never really good books, but could they really exercise such poor judgement when using such a large amount of resources?

On the positive side, the drawings are excellently reproduced and are rarely split. Fortunately, they constitute the vast majority of the book. However, the book should be purchased for the drawings only. The treatment of the paintings is offensive. So much for a comprehensive source on Leonardo. Hold on to those books on the paintings, when you buy this one! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Lush and inspiring.
I want to drown myself in a vat of beeswax every time I leaf through these gorgeous paintings. Solid information about the varieties of wax and mediums and practical suggestions for studio setup and which equipment to use eliminate the esoteric intimidation factor and make encaustic painting accessible to all levels of artist.

Informative and Intriguing
Mattera very concisely defines the ins and outs of encaustic painting and provides an excellent point of reference for both beginning and more advanced artists wanting to expand their horizons on the subject. Also notable was the paintings represented in the beginning of the book that showed myriad techniques and styles employed today in modern encaustic painting. Beautifully done.

Great for amateur and pro alike
This is a great book for all interested in encaustic painting. Details and fine illustrations give great insight to an ancient artform. If you like art, don't miss this book.

Detailed information, great gallery
I have long been fascinated by the technique of encaustic painting and this book fills a void in references on the subject. It contains a vast array of detailed information on everything from making your own paints to exhibiting your artwork.

The book starts out with a history of encaustic art. A gallery section then showcases four different portfolios of art including representation, color and pattern, dimension and modular work. Captions include artist, title, materials used, size and date introduced. Artwork is displayed in a variety of sizes. Some of my favorites are a beautiful face by Tony Scherman and the organic looking "Miasma Morph" by Sylvia Netzer, made of wax with pigment fired on ceramic.

The next sections focuses on encaustic materials. It starts out with details on the wax types. A reference chart of all the wax types, their source, composition, properties, melting point, flash point, color range and average price is here too. Information on heating equipment and well as melting and fusing the wax are next. Then pigments and making your own paints is covered. Selecting and caring for brushes is also here. There is even a great section on using materials safely.

Painting preparation and techniques follow. These include information on substrates and grounds with step-by-step instructions on how to make your own. Recipes of rabbit-skin glue and gesso, as well as tips on using them are explained as well. Then techniques and tips for textured, smooth, scraped and incised surfaces accompanied by example artwork are given. There are also details on collage, mixed media, creating artwork on paper and making large-scale pieces. I loved the helpful answers common questions such as what are good beeswax mixes, what wax is best for glazing, how does one get rid of bloom and what do if you get a wax burn?

In the back of the book there are very helpful resource sections including supply sources, galleries, a glossary and bibliography as well as photo credits and an index. This book is an indispensable reference for anyone wanting to learn about and create encaustic art.

excellent reference and advise, but a little cultish
My comments are those of an amateur, self-taught, new-to-encaustic, artist.

I found Joanne Mattera's book to contain more practical information on this exciting medium than any other source so far. The sections on "Preparation and Technique", "Materials for Encaustic", and to a lesser extent "Preparing and Exhibiting Your Work" are especially beneficial.

There is plenty of help on mixing-your-own wax, tools, supplies, and ideas. It is not a Step 1-2-3 How To Paint book.

The "Porfolios" chapter leads you to believe encaustic is only for the abstract artist. She addresses this issue by stating, "Only a small percentage of contemporary encaustic painting is pictorial, etc...", and with the inclusion of a couple non-abstract images. I get the impression most works are by a select clique of fellow artists. As I paint mostly abstracts myself, the examples were fine. However, the Portfolio would have conveyed this mediums versatility more completely if works of impressionists, such as Dorothy Masom and others, would have been included.

It is a book every aspiring encaustic painter should have. Along with "Waxing Poetic:Encaustic Art in America during the Twentieth Century" by Gail Stavitsky. ... ... Read more

Book Description

This new volume by the authors of the highly acclaimed Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet presents over 200 full-color Tibetan tangka paintings from the collection of Shelley and Donald Rubin.The works span the 12th through the 20th centuries and the full spectrum of Tibetan artistic schools.This important contribution to the understanding of Tibetan art provides analysis of each painting in terms of iconography, religious meaning, style, regional lineage, and sources.An essay by David Jackson discusses the paintings of the Kagyupa school in the Rubin collection. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Comprehensive tour of Tibetan thangka art
This is a big, heavy book, beautifully illustrated and authoritatively written. I am finding it a boon in my research on Tibetan art, for it covers most every subject, style, and region of Tibet. My copy came from the library--wish I could afford to buy it!

Vivid and generous
This book is a companion volume to the same authors' "Wisdom and Compassion", which came out a few years ago. Both are sponsored by the Tibet House in New York and both have the same layout, typography, and approach. As far as I can see there are no duplications between them, though both books are quite large. People who loved that book, as I did, will definitely want this one too, since it is basically more of the wonderful same.

This volume focusses on one vast private collection of Tibetan painting. There are two hundred featured paintings, all shown in full-page reproductions, many with full-page details as well, showing the detail of the tiny figures in the backgrounds which are half of the fun of these pictures. There is some repetition from the first book in the text, but this book goes into more detail about who the figures are and what they are doing.

If there is a prize for quality of reproductions in an art book this book should win it. Every shot is beautiful -- nothing too dark, everything evenly lit. It is impossible, of course, to reproduce the soft powdery glow of the Tibetan pigments on silk, so the pictures look different here than they did in the museum. The printing process necessarily gives them a gloss that the originals don't have. That said, the book is still a beautiful object in its own right. Exactly THAT rosy pink next to exactly THAT acid orange next to exactly THAT slate blue are what make these paintings engrossing from the first minute, even before you get down to work and figure out what's going on in them.

If you want a gift for the budding Buddhist in your family, or if you want to start with only one giant volume on Tibetan art, I would advise you to start with the first book, "Wisdom and Compassion", for the simple reason that it includes sculpture as well as painting, and those little gold demons and tiny brass Buddhas are not to be missed. Real fans, though, and anyone serious about learning all they can about Tibetan art, will want both. Also people like me -- that is: gluttons for color.

The number of pages given above is wrong -- there are 512 pages. And please note that this price is NOT expensive for such a book. (Are all those movie stars who have their picture taken with the Dalai Lama bankrolling this book somehow? If so, we should forgive them all those horrible movies.) It is wise to preserve all the beauty in this book; it is compassionate to sell it so inexpensively. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Another Man's Treasure
Such a tragedy for a talented fellow like Basquiat to succumb to the temptations of drugs at such an early age. His paintings are so raw and fresh. I feel as though he used canvasses as giant doodle pads which he displayed to the world. Many of our own doodle pads (next to our phones, on our office desks, etc.) end up in the [bin] but Basquiat's ended up in the galleries and museums of the world. Some think of his work as [bad] but I view it as a treasure. Fine art, cartoons, grafitti and doodling...the best things in life. This book is the best collection I've seen of his work. The reproductions are well done and the essays are enlightening. For the art afficianado, this book needs to join the collection.

Basquiat at its Best
If you are looking for a wonderful combination of Basquiat's work and biography, this is the book to own. This book is full of many beautiful color plates of his work, as well as the story of his short, successful, but tragic life as an artist who had his brief moment in the sun before succumbing to the drugs.

FAST FORGET TUPA KNOWS
I am not convinced that this is the BEST Jean Michel Basquiat retrospective catalogue to date...but the work selected for this publication is certainly consistently better than most others published before or after this one. Basquiats peak of productivity was from1981-83 and much of that work is catalogued here..But the dissapointment is that many of his last works (circa 1988) will not be found here....but in the more extensive Basquiat catalogue published by the Tony Shafrazi Gallery.
There are also a few images here that will make you wonder why they were selected and some of the text seems to over emphesize  
the fact that Basquiat died of a DRUG OVERDOSE.
You can skip the text or consider it ....it's the work that counts in the end!

Exceptional Catalogue
This is by far the best catalogue of Basquiat's work as it was shown at the Whitney. By far, this book superseed others as it relates to quality and quantity of plates. Strongly recomend.

basquiat comes to life in vivid color
Basquiat is one of my favorite artists. I was first captivated by his works that were used in conjunction with Mya Angelou's poem Life Don't Frigten Me None. I was entranced by his art! I looked all over for a book that would give me a retrospective of his art. I found it. This book is wonderful. Great color great art work. Check it out. You'll Dig it too. ... Read more

Book Description

The National Gallery of Art in our nation's capital houses one of the foremost collections of European and American painting in the world, covering more than seven centuries of art-from Byzantine to contemporary-and numbering more than 3,000 works. This sumptuous volume gathers together some of the greatest art in the world, nearly 400 masterworks of the collection, from Leonardo da Vinci's Ginevra de' Benci to Jackson Pollock's magisterial Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist) .

The model for this volume is John Walker's National Gallery of Art, Washington (1984), hailed in its time as a landmark publication. The new book features stunning reproductions and enlightening commentary by John Hand for a new selection of works, including acquisitions of the past 20 years by artists such as Cézanne, Degas, Matisse, Newman, Rothko, and Van Gogh. Shown together with the masterpieces from the Gallery's core collections-by Botticelli, Corot, Giotto, Goya, Homer, Manet, Picasso, Raphael, Rembrandt, Renoir, Rubens, Titian, Van Eyck, Vermeer, and many others-the entire group testifies to the growth and remarkable quality of the nation's art collection. AUTHOR BIO: John Oliver Hand is curator of northern Renaissance paintings at the National Gallery of Art. Earl A. Powell III is the director of the National Gallery of Art. ... Read more

Book Description

Through clear, illuminating exercises, this best-selling book stimulates new ways to think about color, generating responses that unlock personal creativity and allow artists to express themselves with paint as never before.Readers are shown how the interplay of complementary hues can trigger vibrations; how the push and pull of warm and cool colors can create a feeling of space; how to disguise one color in a scene to accent another; and many more tidbits of colorful advice. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Must-Read for any watercolorist
The talented Jeanne Dobie does a lot of her work in the sun-drenched Florida Keys. While there are many good books on color and pigment, Dobie explains how light in a painting scene shifts moment by moment and how you have to be ready to capture that brilliant moment with the right palette.

The book gives advice on which colors to put in a limited palette for brilliance. (As anyone who has done watercolor even for a short time knows, there are hundreds of colors available, but when you MIX them, sometimes you get a flat, dull result that looks like mud on the paper.) Choosing a limited and CORRECT palette for the painting you are going to do is one of the most critical steps after creating the composition. Dobie includes important facts about which paints stain the paper (and cannot be lifted up again), which are transparent and can be used as a wash or glaze, and which paints are opaque. And if you follow the "purist" rule of no white paint, you learn how to leave the whites (use the paper for brilliant whites) and no black paint (which causes a visual hole in the paper.) Instead, Dobie shows the student painter how dark colors like brown or a visual black can be mixed that still look luminous and interesting on the paper. This is a very difficult technique to master--shadow detail can make or break a painting.

I disagree with one of her points, however, on mixing greens. While it is true that green pigments direct from the tube are far more brilliant and transparent than any you can mix, I find certain mixed greens from yellows and blues to be subtle for shadowed foliage, and sometimes the pure paint greens are jarring and unnatural to me. I tried to follow this "use unmixed" greens rule, and I end up mixing mine anyway, though I own many shades of green paints.

Of course, the best part of the book are the paintings. These are inspiring to the reader, but this author can also write and explain herself well. This book should be a standard on any watercolorist's shelf.

'Making Colors Sing' - Excellent!!!
'Making Colors Sing' by Jeanne Dobie is a reference book every watercolorist should own. This book is a helpful resource that can be read over and over again to examine color theory in depth. For anyone who would like to reach new levels in their paintings using color, Jeanne Dobie takes you on an adventure in color techniques and beyond with each exciting chapter. Her pictures are absolutely beautiful and she successfully achieves her goal in 'Making Colors Sing'. I only wish this book was available in hardcover because I am wearing my paperback version out! I look forward to the next book Jeanne may write on watercolor or art technique. This book was very helpful. Thanks a million.

Book is Excellent But Needs Updating
Jeanne Dobie's book was recommended in the watercolor class I took and at first when I looked at the pictures I was not interested as I do not care for Dobie's style as illustrated in the book and would never buy the book based on her work. However, after borrowing the teacher's copy I began reading the text and found the information valuable and useful after trying the suggested exercises. Dobie's book along with Tom Hill's The Watercolorist's Complete Guide to Color combine as excellent references for learing to use color pigments and making colors "sing" instead of making mud.

I am giving Dobie's book 1 instead of 5 stars as it seriously needs updating considering some of the pigments Dobie uses are not lightfast and the inclusion of more modern pigments that replace these non-lightfast pigments would be useful all considering the book was first published in 1986, which is 18 years ago. The lightfast references I am going by are Hilary Page and Michael Wilcox's books analyizing watercolor pigments.

Aside from Dobie's use of some outdated pigments (see handprint.com) the book is an excellent reference and her advice as to color mixing valuable.

outstandingly clear
Like the brilliant hues in her examples, Ms. Dobie's book is outstandingly clear and strong. Her logical, step-by-step examples give the lie to the notion that creative people can't explain their gift. She doesn't need to write another book because this says it all, but such an inspirational work makes you want to hear more. This book has prompted me to cull from my library books by other authors that now look dull after experiencing Making Color Sing.

She Tells You What's Behind The Magic
I am a learning watercolor artist and I read many books on the subject. This is one of a handful that I find to be particularly informative. While most art instruction books tell you what to do and how to do it, Jeanne Dobie patiently explains why. In other words, she tells you what is behind the magic.

For example, she says that you cannot get a good green by mixing any yellow and any blue, because, a yellow such as cadmium yellow contains some red and a blue such as ultramarine also contains some red, and the presence of red in green (the hoped-for color), which are complements on the color wheel, yields gray. Thus the resulting green is very muted. Explanations such as this are invaluable to me, because the underlying reasons she gives completely convinces me that she is right and the knowledge is extensible to other color combinations.

There are many such gems of knowledge in this book. Jeanne Dobie teaches you how to create not just contrast, but a "singing" combination of colors, and how to mix your own blacks and your own whites to achieve much more nuanced presentations. And there is much more.

Admittedly, some artists do not feel bound by these "rules" of color and can still produce very good art. Charles Reid comes to mind. For the rest of us, the wisdoms Jeanne Dobie shares in this book are an important part of an artist's knowledge base. ... Read more

Amazon.com

For those who've enjoyed the original, the good news is that the newedition of The Story of Painting has grown by more than 300 pages ofphotographs--magnified close-ups of details from nearly half the 450 paintingsin the book. Fauvist paint strokes become mighty slabs; sparkling light on aDutch still life is revealed as a series of tiny dots; the cheeks of a young manin an Italian Renaissance portrait betray a touch of five o'clock shadow. Thiskind of close looking is seductive, and it's an important part of Sister Wendy'sdirect, unpretentious approach to art.

As a history of painting, Sister Wendy's book has its strong points (works withreligious or spiritual themes and those that lend themselves to psychologicalinterpretation) as well as its lapses (a very skimpy discussion of Cubism andinadequate treatment of works from the late 20th century). Even the title is abit of a misnomer. The painting in question is purely Western; there is nothinghere about Indian or Persian miniatures, or the great tradition of Chineselandscapes.

But what Sister Wendy alone offers are vivid, personal interpretations that comefrom a deep well of emotional sympathy with works of art. Who else would noticethe way the bagpiper in The Wedding Feast by Pieter Breughel "stares atthe porridge with the longing of the truly hungry"? Who else would point out howVenus--the "older woman" pleading with "virile" Adonis not to go off to war inTitian's "Venus and Adonis"--shows us "her superb back and buttocks, beguilinglyrounded, full of promise." Rather than portraying Western art as the dutifulproduction of "masterpieces," she revels in the physicality of paint and thevariety of human experience these works represent. --Cathy Curtis ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Wonderful!
This book has brought life to painting and the history of art for my 10 year old daughter. She has looked at other art books before, but has never paid too much attention to the explanations written in the text. This book has held her attention, it is different from others because Sister Wendy gives such vivid descriptions of the artists and especially of their paintings. I am thoroughly enjoying reading this book with my daughter. There are some nude pictures in it, as another reviewer mentioned; nevertheless, they are in good taste and beautiful. Sister Wendy gets 5 stars from our family!

This book is a must for all interested in european painting.
I first read this book when I was enrolled in an art history class in college. The text book we had for the class was informative, but many of the works we studied in detail were not pictured in the text. Sister Wendy covered each of those major works with great care. Her photos and close-ups were, almost work for work, the exact paintings and close-ups we had discussed in the class. I ended up reading more from Sister Wendy than from the text, because she gave wonderful synopses of key points, and included more photos. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is curious about painting. It will improve your future museum visits just by flipping through the pages

Should be Story of Jesus Painting
More than two thirds of the book is dedicated to paintings related with Christianity. And the real arts are either completely ignored or dealt carelessly. For example, The whole Van Gogh's paintings are described in mere four pages, while each of so may Christian related paintings by some obscure painters, is shown using four split pages. If your religion is Christianity and your objective is to investigate Christian paintings, this book should be fine. But for the rest of us who are not Christians, this book is not worth reading or looking at. There are so many other good art books out there without religious bias. This book is not about painting as described. It is about the Christianity religion disguised with "Painting".

Nun of that, now...
How bizarre...

...and yet, how wonderful. Who would have ever thought that a nun going through the museum would have (a) been interesting, (b) been publishable, (c) been television-worthy, or (d) been within the realm of credible imaginings? And yet, here is the proof, on my coffee table. Sister Wendy's smiling face, next to a scowling Vincent, greets me each day with my morning cocoa.

This is a book to be savoured. It cannot, like the morning cocoa, be rushed and enjoyed. This must take time. Not because the text is dense or confusing--indeed, it is not. It is lively, witty, historical, accessible, all that one could want in a book on art.

But, mostly, it is exquisitely visual in layout. Everything is photographed and reproduced in stunning colour and low-gloss format to make the pages vibrant and durable yet easily seen. Care has gone into the production of this volume. None of the art is reduced to black and white, but rather presented in glorious colour. With over 800 images in under 400 pages, this is a feast for the eyes. Each page is dominated by art, not text. That makes for slow moving, like reading a museum..

Sister Wendy Beckett takes us on an historical tour of painting (in the European theatre of history), beginning with prehistoric cave-art and drawings, leading up to modern and post-modern artists.

She takes representative pieces, such as the Bosch painting of Death and the Miser to illustrate points of colour, detail, composition, and story. Some paintings have complex stories (such as this one), others have simple composition (such as the 'innocently disadvantaged' Mona Lisa) which give endless speculation as to the meaning.

Sister Wendy explores each era of artistic history, listed below in broad categories (there are several subcategories of each), giving history and philosophy as well as major and representative minor works, explaining in detail at least one or two works for each, concentrating on painting, but also bringing in as relevant sculpture, stained glass, architecture, and other artistic media.

+ Art of the Ancient World
+ Gothic Painting
+ Italian Renaissance
+ Northern Renaissance
+ Baroque and Rococo
+ Neoclassicism and Romanticism
+ The Age of Impressionism
+ Post-Impressionism
+ The Twentieth Century

Sister Wendy does an admirable job at not concentrating exclusively on religious and Christian art (for being a nun), however, given the history of art in Europe, this is a major theme in its own right.

The Epilogue, says Sister Wendy, 'is both an afterword and a foreword: hundreds and thousands of artists come after the disappearance of the 'story line' into the maze of contemporary artistic experience and these same artists may of course, be the forerunners of a new story.' In concluding her volume, she highlights the paintings of Robert Natkin, Joan Mitchell and Albert Herbert, the art of each she hopes will endure.

Sister Wendy's signature style + Lush artwork = Great Book
The expanded version of "The Story of Painting" features an exponentially larger selection of artwork and commentary from Sister Wendy; both being a plus that benefits the reader.

This is not a dry, scholarly work, and I suspect the author would not desire it to be viewed that way anyway. What "The Story of Painting" brings to the reader is a very approachable style of writing and some of the most lush artwork you will see in any book on this subject. I was particularly surprised to see many works that I had never seen in any other book of this kind. Some were a revelation (like Tintorretto's "The Last Supper"), while others allowed - via the detailed closeups featured in the book - a closer inspection of brushstrokes and technique not normally covered in other historical painting overviews.

"The Story of Painting" begins with short section covering works before the medieval era, mostly Greek, Roman, and Etruscan, then kicks into high gear before ending with the 20th Century. This concluding section is one of the weaker parts of the book, but I think it can be argued that the latter half of that time period has not produced many of the glorious works featured in other parts of the book. Too much time deconstructing art and not enough making soul-stirring paintings, I suppose.

As with any Sister Wendy art book, you get the sage, grandmotherly insights into the works from a woman who deeply enjoys art. Other books impart a barrier between the works, the critical evaluation of them by the author, and the reader. Sister Wendy smashes that piece of artifice and seeks to draw people into the works themselves, not to critique them and simply move on to the next, but to give life to each work. She does this admirably, in my opinion. From time to time she does take more time to dissect a piece and look at it elements apart from the work as a whole, and in each evaluation she lends her knowledge of iconography and symbolism to help the reader fully understand the painter's intent. Very helpful. When compared with other art books, it becomes even more rare as it also might be one of the few books of its kind that would work well as a primer for parents sitting down with children to examine the works together.

Lastly, the book itself is classic Dorling Kindersley: bright, white, glossy paper; easy to read, well-spaced typesetting; beautiful and large illustrations; helpful sidebars; and just an overall feel of quality. It's quite hard to find fault with the book. And as an expanded version of the original, it works faultlessly. This hefty tome practically defines the phrase "coffee table book". At 736 pages in length, its sheer heft would make it a fine weapon against your least favorite sneering, art critic!

Highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

There's a powerful fascination in creating fantasy characters andtheir bewitching environs on the computer screen. Written for anyone who works- or plays-in 3D graphics, Digital Fantasy Painting supplies a treasury of testedtechniques that can be applied to any illustration software package.This extraordinary resource is packed with dozens of step-by-step exercises fordesigning photo-realistic 3D creatures and their strange worlds. Readers willsee how to produce simple human skin and bone textures, as well as an entirehost of ethereal creatures such as ghosts, spirits, robots, and cyborgs. They'lldiscover how to design realistic atmospheric effects as well as capture thesurreal world of nightmares, futurescapes, and planetscapes. Computer artistswill also find tested techniques for modeling, surfacing, staging, and lightingas well as creating water, glass, and other true-to-life motion effects. Digital Fantasy Painting features a dazzling showcase of the very best fantasyartwork, complete with dozens of tips, examples, and shortcuts that help put thecreative process on the fast track. Plus, a special section outlines the myriadsoftware illustration packages available on the market today.For graphic designers, fans of fantasy and science fiction art, and anyone elsewho wants to try their hand at creating incredible creatures on their computerscreen, here is a definitive one-stop resource. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good for beginners
This book mostly contains some step by step screen shots. The book talks mostly about using photoshop as a tool for texturing, and painting. It goes a little bit in other 3d programs such as Maya, 3d max, and Poser. But only covers a few modifiers or special effects. There is no real indepth explanation. As someone who works with 3d max and photoshop, I only recommend it if you are a beginner. The instruction are more like tips here and there.

A must have for any digital artist's collection
How this book slipped under my nose for so long is amazing. I just recently found it and the book contains some amazing artwork. True, a lot of the book is just gallery work and the "step-by-step" section is more of a step-by-step overview of how certain effects were created. If someone is looking for a how-to book, this isn't the one. The interesting part is that the book fails to focus on any singular 3D app. One masterpiece may be done with poser, another with Lightwave, another with 3D max, another done strictly with photoshop, and yet another may use multiple application.

It truly opens your eyes on the quality available with soem of the apps. This book belongs on your shelf alongside the other non-app specific titles like Digital Lighting and Rendering and Digital Texturing and Painting.

Very Well Done
Despite the other reviews, I found this book a worthwhile buy as a beginning digital artist. It does not provide an in depth explanation of every program in it, however, it shows a wide variety of artwork from various fantasy artists and gives basic tutorial steps and multiple tips. The work can be found online with some of the tutorials admittedly, but I found it very handy to have good examples and techniques for work sitting in front of me rather than clicking back and forth between multiple online tutorials and whatever program I was working on.

I am not familiar with 3d programs yet but this book gives examples of many different programs and gave me an idea of what programs I might like to try later. The tutorials were comprehensible and easy to follow as well as showcasing a variety of styles. They were not just sketch-detail sketch-end product the way that I've found many other tutoral books to be. Instead it shows the layering and painting process with each of the pieces, which is exactly what I was looking for. If you want nitty-gritty details, I suggest buying the "bible" for whatever program you want to find out more about. There's only so much you can do in a 160 page book, especially if you want an index and title page and whatnot ^.~

Visit a Web Gallery, Save Yourself Some Money
I was kind of rushed when I bought this book so I chanced it figuring I could return it later.

This book has no substance to it beyond what you can already find on the web. It just goes through basic "I did this, then that, then the other thing." No indepth look at any creation. I've found crap tutorials on the web with more information.

The gallery at the back is available on the web pretty much. One of the featured artists in it posts his work on forums I happen to moderate. I can see other works of similar caliber on the various community web sites.

One editorial note is I saw WAY too much Poser and Bryce work in this book which took away a LOT of credibility with me. I am sorry but those programs are not artist tools but cookie cutters. Tools would be Alias|Wavefront Maya, discreet 3ds max, and so forth. I think artists who take the time to learn those high-end programs deserve placement in books. Not someone who clicked a few presets and got an instant human.

A Mediocre Book of Pretty Pictures No Substance
This book is full of nice images, if I can say so it is more a gallery of Digital Fantasy Art then a training book, the editorial review is a little misleading. It is not a training nor lesson book, it is a Tip book only. For instance there will be a picture on the page and the author will explain 1-2 tips on how they created the light for that particular piece, nothing extraordinary. Not only that, but most of the images and "tutorials/tips" can be found on the internet. All you have to do is do a search on Epilouge or search other digital art sites etc. and you will find many of the images that are in the book.

The author's details about hardware and computers are mundane and "filler up" material. The target of this book is for beginners only. Other skill levels will want something of more substance.

If you are wanting a book that will learn you how to digital paint try Don Seegimiller's book, create compositions, image effects you will not receive this from this book, only a smattering of tips, which are good, but not detailed enough. Books like these should be giving tips that are rare and unknown, not re-hashing tips the reader already knows. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Brings to life the great artist's first 25 years
I respond as a general reader and can attest that reading this work was very much like engaging in a talk with an erudite and witty and sympathic art loving friend. I say engaging as Mr Richardsom anticipates questions and provides explanations. He is also revealing, at least to my mind, about many of the important figures of the early 20th century, such as Gertrude Stein, but as well, the social and artistic revolutions that were occuring. Picasso himself, however, is determinedly apolitical.The illustrations are useful, plentiful and conveniently located adjacent to the text. Chapters may stand on their own - for example Chapter 28 "Summer at Gosol" has many interesting features that show the artist's creative energy and source of inspiration at the time, the relationship with Ferdinande contrasted with his admiration for a ninety year old patriarch of the tiny mountain village, there perilous journey by mule in and out of Gosol, the atmosphere and the creative joy that Picasso experiences, not to mention the breakthough in his work that occurs at this time. The paperback is sturdily bound and overall, as a read, I found the "story", if you will, a most engaging read.

Classic Biography
There should be no doubt that the first two volumes of Richardson's Picasso can be ranked alongside Ellman on both Wilde and Joyce or with Michael Holroyd's bio of Lytton Strachey. If a biographer loves his subject then that is no bad thing. Richard Ellman wrote his bios quite clearly in the style of his subjects and by so doing brought us closer to them.Ellman was obviously completely mesmerised by Oscar Wilde thus the greater the tragedy.

Picasso was no such doomed figure. If a ever a man was blessed with talent, opportunity, lovers sycophants,wealth and long life to enjoy them then this little Iberian colossus had it all. Richardson dotes on his client in obvious awe and why not? The book is painstakingly researched and pulls up from being pedantic by the author's ability to describe the historical firmament in which Picasso's star shone. These bit players (Max Jacob, Apollinaire, Braque, etc.) are giants in their own right and yet it is only Matisse who comes out ultimately unscathed. Mr. Richardson has his own favourites and these are evidently Picasso's too.

It is made plain that despite the comet of Picasso's life and times and all the bright shining lights his work remained inviolate and the unquestionable raison d'etre of his existence . Picasso takes obvious liberties with his friendships and lovers. If this is how a hugely successful personality can behave then Picasso can obviously be a complete swine. Mr.Richardson paints a picture of a man who, for good or evil, is able to absorb the passed and present literate and plastic art talents and synthesise them into his own staggering vision.

It is the unmitigated audacity of Picasso to compare his work on a par with El Greco, Zurbaran, Velazquez, etc. He does though concede their greatness. Nevertheless he has not the slightest doubt that he belongs in that realm. Such nerve!

Picasso was no monk (as the elderly Braque has sometimes been described) and evidently had an ego to match his talents. As a biography Richardson's work has to be amazing to read and leave us hungry for more. It also has to leave a bitter residue as evidence of Picasso's sometimes shabby behaviour.

How would any of us behave if such greatness were thrust upon us? That is simply one of the unanswerable questions a great biography poses.

Now, where are vols. III and IV?

Monumental but readable too
Richardson in his landmark biography of Picasso gingerly walks through the minefields that have been laid in the 100+ years that Picasso has been on the art scene. Picasso is near enough to being our contemporary that it would have been nearly impossible for Richardson to have treated him fairly in the minds of many. One of the foremost issues recently raised, is his attitude towards women and his treatment of his lovers and wives. As for what can be gleaned from this and Vol II, Picasso was probably about average in this respect for a man of his time. Richardson seems to have intelligently not taken the bait and endulged in defending the past against the present.

Since Richardson knew Picasso as an intimate friend, there is an air of familiarity that pervades the work. I really enjoyed the feeling of immediacy and of being there when it happened that Richardson has so skillfully woven into the book. In comparison, Simon Schama's monumental biography of Rembrandt (and Rubens) reads more like a peek at the past. Schama can be excused since the passing of nearly 400 years makes writing in the immediate mode difficult and maybe even a little pretentious.

Though definitely not hagiaography, Richardson does treat his subject almost like a doting father, but loving his child warts and all. As to the work being a defense of Picasso in his rivalry with Matisse, one could only read that into the work if one was a rabid Matisse fan. I'm sorry but, Matisse being the giant that he was, was no Picasso.

The book flows like a river. I was truly transported back into Picasso's life and social scene. I found the artistic analysis of his work to be on target and written without much academic showing off or mumbo-jumbo. If you are looking for a Post-Modernist deconstruction of Picasso, it (thankfully!) isn't here. The historical coverage of Picasso's social circle is excellent and made me want to have been able to attend some of the Picasso's tertulias at Lapin Agile. What an exciting time it must have been.

I flashed on Roger Shattuck's book The Banquet Years, which also transports the reader back to Paris in the years 1895 to WW I. Shattuck's book would be a good companion piece or primer for the Richardson series.

I saw Richardson give a lecture in 1998 at the College of Santa Fe. He does appear to be along in years and is definitely no Lapin Agile himself. From the gleanings of an after lecture discussion in the hallway with Richardson, it appears that Marylin McCauley, his collaborator on the project, is equally a writer and Picasso scholar and will be the torchbearer for the future editions. My own suspicions are that she may have been the major writer on Vol II. Since Vol II ends only in 1917, there appears to be at least 2 and possibly 3 more volumes to come. This is truly a monumental work and one that reads well. It could have easily turned out to be a "reference" biography reading like a bushel of note cards strung together.

I highly recommend it and the whole series. (I am confident enough that the ones to come will be as exciting.) Not only good brain medicine for a Modern Art enthusiast but fun reading too.

I wanted to give it the fourth star, but...
I think a good biographer should present the life of his subject and perhaps provide some analysis, taking into account what has happened since the subject's life happened. And for most of this biography, Richardson does that. But by the end of this first volume, Richardson has gone from chronicler to defender and mouthpiece. Naturally, Richardson prefers Picasso to Matisse in the greatest rivalry in 20th century art. (That's why he's writing a Picasso and not a Matisse bio, presumably.) But instead of presenting the viewpoints of Picasso and his band, Richardson actively takes sides, joining Picasso in berating Matisse. That's not a biographer's role and it cheapens this biography. The last 100 pages of the book read more like a rock star bio written by an adoring fan (Dave Marsh's book on Springsteen is a good comparison) instead of by a historic tome. So if you prefer Picasso to Matisse and enjoy Picasso's side of the rivalry, you'll likely give Richardson that fourth star. But that aside, this is quite a good biography. It provides insight, understanding and tells so fascinating stories along the way. It's a must-read for lovers of 20th century art. For a more neutral look at the Matisse-Picasso rivalry, read Hilary Spurling's bio of Matisse. The characterizations of the Steins, in particular, are markedly different. ... Read more

Book Description

Focusing on the period 1905-1913, this provocative and groundbreaking new book refutes the popular view of Matisse as the painter of relaxed pleasures, the master of decorative line and sensuous color. Alastair Wright discovers a darker, more complex side to Matisse: an artist whose work, caught in the uneasy space between modernism and tradition, was fundamentally engaged with the most pressing of modernity's artistic and ideological debates. Presenting a series of brilliant and highly original analyses of Matisse's most important early paintings, Wright locates the artist within a wider cultural field in which the identities of modernism--and of its viewers--were highly contested. Wright offers a penetrating examination of the public response to Matisse's work, arguing that his early-twentieth-century audience found in his painting a deeply disturbing challenge to contemporary concepts of the self, of the nation, and of the West.

This sumptuously illustrated book positions the work of Matisse and a number of his contemporaries in relation to key aspects of modernity--the commodification of the individual, the dislocation of cultural identity, and the effacement of racial boundaries under the pressure of imperial expansion--and provides a compelling account of how these contradictory historical materials fused to give birth to Matisse's modernism. What emerges is a renewed sense of the rich complexity of an artistic practice suspended between the seductive potential of pure color and an always ambivalent engagement with tradition. Tracing the interplay between Matisse's painting and discourses of art and subjectivity, Wright offers a significant new reading of one of the central figures of early-twentieth-century modernism.

... Read more

Book Description

A magnificent selection of drawings by one of the greatest artists of the seventeenth century

For the Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640), drawing was a fundamental activity. Ranging from delightful renderings of children and elegant portraits of noblemen and women to vigorous animal studies and beautiful landscapes, Rubens’s drawings are renowned for their superb quality and variety.

This exquisite book presents—in beautiful full-color reproductions—more than one hundred of the finest and most representative of Rubens’s drawings, from private and public collections around the world. Essays by Anne-Marie Logan and Michiel C. Plomp provide overviews of Rubens’s career as a draftsman and of the dispersal of his drawings among collectors after his death. The authors discuss the various functions of Rubens’s drawings as preparatory studies for paintings, sculpture, architecture, prints, and book illustrations. The volume also includes a sampling of the artist’s early anatomical studies and copies after antique sculpture as well as several sheets by other artists that Rubens retouched, restored, or reworked.

This publication accompanies an exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (January 14 to April 3, 2005)—the most comprehensive exhibition of Rubens’s drawings ever held in the United States.

Anne-Marie Logan is Guest Research Curator and Michiel C. Plomp is Associate Curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.


... Read more

Reviews (7)

Overrated
I'm surprised by the glowing reviews for this book. The reproductions are of poor quality. My advice would be to buy a book published in the last ten years, no more.

Paintings In the Louvre
Unparalleled in its breadth and scope, and unique in the quality of its sumptuous color reproductions, "Paintings In the Louvre" is THE BEST, the most lavish and comprehensive book ever published on the greatest